Time and Again
by aelfhe1m
Summary: AU fic. After the events of 'Some Assembly Required', things take a bit of a strange turn for Buffy and the gang, but especially for Cordelia ...
1. Prologue

Time and Again 

Authors Notes: This is my first attempt at writing a fanfiction and I'm not the fastest writer in the world, so subsequent chapters may be a little slow in appearing. Please bear with me and have patience. This prologue is pretty much just setting the scene, but future chapters will include femslash romance, so if this is illegal for you to read, or just not to your taste, you have been warned.

Prologue 

Buffy was bored. The bright full moon shone down upon the still loneliness of the empty graveyard. The cold clear light clearly delineated row after row of grave stones undisturbed by any newly arising vampires. No demons lurked amongst the shadows behind the scattered mausoleums. Everything was perfectly peaceful.

Buffy sighed. Three nights patrol with absolutely nothing to fight. She could feel the frustrations building up inside her with nothing to release them on. Of course it didn't help that Angel seemed to have pulled another disappearing act. She had thought that everything was going so well. After he confessed his jealousy for the act she had put on dancing with Xander at the Bronze, she was sure they'd resolved the awkwardness between them, but now he'd vanished and she wasn't so sure any longer.

So she was trudging through the graveyards searching for something evil, and preferably not too slimy, to beat up in the hope of taking her mind off her pathetic love life. But as so often happened when she actually wanted something to fight all the evil creatures of the world were nowhere to be found.  

No new supernatural threat had raised its ugly head in Sunnydale since she and her friends had put a stop to Chris and Eric's little build-your-own-girl scheme last week. _'Oh, and wasn't that a big success!' _she thought to herself._ 'Another burnt down school building to add to my record. Guess I should be grateful that at least this time the fire was an accident and the building was abandoned rather than in regular use.'_

At first Buffy had been a bit worried that the fire investigators might start asking some awkward questions once Daryl's remains were discovered and had asked Willow to keep an eye on what reports and evidence were being filed in the Fire Department's and Sunnydale Police Department's computer systems. So far, they weren't reporting anything other than "medical wired together skeletons" and the missing remains of the exhumed cheerleaders. They even seemed to be treating the fire as accidental rather than arson, with one report rambling on at length about lack of maintenance, faulty wiring, the improper storage of highly flammable chemicals and for some strange reason, mice.

She had been amused the next day by Willow's recounting of Cordelia's big thank you speech to Xander. Which he had blown off in a completely self-absorbed and clueless rambling on his dateless status. Perhaps there was hope for Cordelia yet. After all if she could unbend enough to thank Xander of all people for saving her life then maybe she wouldn't feel compelled to make snippy comments to Buffy or her friends whenever their paths crossed. _'Yeah, and wasn't that a flying pig I saw earlier!' _Buffy thought with a snort. _'She did look kind of cute with those smudges on her nose and forehead though. And getting t ride on top of her like that would sure have been more fun that getting pounded on by the NFL's answer to Frankenstein junior.'_

_'Whoa, I did not just think…' _Buffy shook her head vigorously as though to dislodge the unwanted thoughts._ 'Nah! It must be the boredom. No way am I imagining what it would be like to feel my body pressed up against her firm…'_

"Arghh!" Buffy exclaimed aloud in disgust. "I so need a good slay! Where are the vampires when I really need them?"

"Why right behind ya darlin'," a new voice said in an exaggerated Western drawl. 

Buffy whirled around to face the newcomer and couldn't help laughing out loud. "You have no idea how ridiculous that cowboy hat looks on top of your game face do you?" she asked cocking her head to one side. Watching as the vampire turned a bright red with rage, she answered her own question. "No, of course not. What with you being reflectionally challenged and everything."

The cowboy charged furiously, growling low in his throat, out-stretched hands and curled talons grasping for her throat. Buffy merely side-stepped and gave him a hearty kick in the back side as he stumbled past, sending him crashing face first into a nearby grave stone. "Oh, come on. You can do better than that surely. How am I meant to work off my frustrations if you make it this easy for me?"

The vampire staggered to his feet and brought his hand up to wipe at the slow trickle of blood seeping from a shallow cut above his right eyebrow. Looking at the red stain on his fingers he snarled at the Slayer and swung with all his might towards the Slayer's smirking face. With a snort, Buffy simply leaned back slightly letting the fist swish past her before shoving the seriously off balance vampire with her foot sending him sprawling across another grave.

Pulling a stake from the waistband of her pants and twirling it lightly in her fingers, Buffy put her left hand on her hip and looked down at the fallen vampire in disgust. "I can't believe I'm going to say this," she told him. "But you're making this way too easy."

"Why ya lil' bitch! Wait till I get my hands on you. I'll rip your head off and…" he yelled, leaping up to attack once more, only to stop with a stunned look on his face as he ran right into the business end of Buffy's stake. "Sh…" he started to say, before bursting into a cloud of ash.

"And another one bites the dust." Buffy smiled with satisfaction. _'Now why does that phrase sound familiar?' _She shrugged dismissing both the thought and her recent foe. _'Well I guess that's my duty done for the night. What little there was of it. Time to hit The Bronze'_

With her friends gathered around the table in the library the next day, Buffy was recounting her encounter with a certain amount of relish.

"I know that vamps often have really dated fashion senses, but this one really took the biscuit. I swear he even had snake skin boots. It was just so ridiculous, a style critique from Cordelia would've made him run away in shame, I tell you!"

"He didn't sound like the sensitive type to me, Buff" said Willow. Bright highlights catching in her long red hair as she shook her head emphatically. "He'd more likely try to skin her to make himself a matching belt."

"Eww! That is one visual I really didn't need." Buffy complained screwing up her nose. "Speaking of the annoying one, has anyone seen her since that Weird Science business the other night?"

Giles looked up from the book he had been studying with a frown. "Now that you mention it, I don't think she showed up at school today."

"That's odd," Willow said. "She didn't seem to be hurt or anything. You don't suppose anything's happened to her do you?"

Xander snorted from the other end of the table. "Hah! It's probably nothing. After all what could possibly have happened to her on her way home?"

"You're kidding right!" Buffy demanded in surprise. Her short blonde hair swirling about her shoulders as she turned to confront him. "I spend more time rescuing Cordelia than the rest of you put together! Something is **always** happening to her. Plus you know what she's like. She'd accept a lift from the Devil himself if he was driving an expensive enough car."

Xander looked away from her glare hanging his head. "Sorry, that was stupid alright, but Queen C just gets under my skin. It's not like I really want anything bad to happen to her." He paused a moment with a thoughtful look on his face. "At least not unless I get to watch."

"Xander!" Willow exclaimed thumping him on the arm.

"Oww!"

"Enough, children" Giles said wearily. "I think we should at least check to see if anyone has heard anything before we assume the worst."

"Good idea. I've got History next. If Cordelia isn't in class I'll ask the teacher if she's heard anything," volunteered Buffy. Then with a slightly malicious smile she turned to Xander. "Why don't you find Harmony and ask her if she knows where Cordy is?"

"What! No. No. And I say again, no." Xander jumped up waving his arms in agitation. "Why don't you ask me to do something safer? Like run naked through the graveyard at night with a sign marked 'Food' around my neck."

"I'd pay to see that," Willow muttered too quietly for anyone to hear. Or so she thought until she saw Buffy staring at her with her mouth hanging open.

"Ah, um, well…" Giles said taking his glasses off and polishing them intently for a moment. Pointedly ignoring Xander's outburst he continued, "I'll check with the school office and see if Cordelia called in sick today." 

"Quit the dramatics Xander. It's just Harmony. She's a pain but she's not dangerous."

"Fine," Xander moaned. "But you are all going to owe me for this. And don't say I didn't warn you if I end up with my brains dribbling out my ears from having to listen to her mindless yammering!" And with a last glare around the room he stormed out.

Buffy and Willow shared an amused look at their friends antics, before getting up as well. "See you later Giles, but first the dreadful fate that is history class awaits us."

The gang had questioned everyone they could think of who might know anything about Cordelia's whereabouts, but nobody had seen her for days. And strangely nobody seemed to be worried much either.

Harmony had told Xander that Cordy's parents had left for a vacation and that perhaps she had gone with them to "… like, get over the shock of almost getting cooked in that fire, you know?" 

Aura told him Cordy had failed to show up for a shopping trip they and a couple of their other friends had arranged for Saturday and then not appeared for their arranged date at The Bronze that evening either. They had heard a version of what had happened at the game and knew Cordelia wasn't always the most conscientious person when it came to keeping appointments, so the girls weren't really too surprised.

The school secretary had told Giles that there were no notes or messages asking for Cordelia to be excused from school but that "those rich bitches often disappeared for days when the fancy took them."

When Chris had told Buffy that he had seen Cordelia heading back towards the locker rooms after speaking with Xander and Willow by the fire trucks, probably to clean up and change out of her cheerleader's uniform. So Buffy had gone in search of Joy, finally cornering the older cheerleader in the locker room hoping she might know or have heard something / anything that might give some clue to where Cordelia had gone after that. But Joy hadn't seen or heard from her either. And more worryingly still, Joy reported that Cordelia's sports bag and clothes were still where she'd left them that night.

After hearing all the negative reports, Giles had quietly phoned around the local hospitals to see if she might have been admitted. Then with a sinking feeling in his heart he had asked Willow to hack into the Coroners Office's files to check who had turned up in the morgues recently. 

When Willow reported that not only was there nobody matching Cordelia's description but that there had only been one other death in the last few days and that was of an overweight middle aged man who suffered a massive coronary while in the queue at the local burger bar, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The relief quickly turned to concern again as it struck them just how unusual the lack of deaths was for Sunnydale. They had all dove into research mode then to look for anything in the books that might explain the sudden lull in supernatural activity and maybe give a hint of just what might have happened to Cordelia.

Several hours later and with no further clue as to what might be happening, Xander and Willow had reluctantly left to go home. Buffy was all for doing the same herself but Giles had cautioned her that just because things looked quiet was no reason for her to slack off on her duties. After all they had no idea what new evil might be quietly brewing away beneath Sunnydale just waiting for the perfect opportunity to burst forth upon an unsuspecting world.

Buffy had reluctantly agreed and so here she was on yet another eventless patrol through some of Sunnydale's many cemeteries and even more frustrated than ever.

_'All this tension and worry can't be good for me,' _she thought as she trudged through her third cemetery of the night. _'And I'm not even getting the catharsis of a good fight.' _She stopped suddenly in her tracks as she realised what she'd just thought. _'Giles is such a bad influence on me. I can't believe I knew a word like that, but I'm certainly not letting Giles or the guys know. I'd never live it down. Besides life's much easier when they expect to do the heavy thinking and leave the muscle work to me.' _ Smiling to herself at her complicity (another Giles word), Buffy started forward again.

As she peered cautiously at the moonlit graves to either side of her, she pulled a stake from her jacket and began tossing it back and forward swirling it around her fingers in a casual display of skill that didn't even register on her conscious mind. Her hands thus occupied her mind drifted back to musing on the current situation in the town.

_'I really wish I could relax and enjoy the peace and quiet,' _she thought with a sigh. _'But it's kind of difficult when I keep thinking of this as the lull before a storm. Then add in the worry that Cordelia might have been kidnapped as part of some evil world threatening plot, which Giles will no doubt find out about with only moments to spare, and which I will have to stop and well relaxing just isn't on the cards tonight now is it and am I babbling in my head now? I am aren't I? And it's not half as cute as when __Willow__ does it.'_

"Arghh! This is getting me nowhere fast. Face it Buffy you're not going to find the big brewing evil this way so why not call it a night and go home to bed?" she muttered to herself. Stuffing her stake back inside her jacket and turning towards the street. 

But the Slayer had only gone a few strides before she felt something stirring behind her. Whirling around, Buffy came face to face with one of the largest vampires she'd ever encountered. _'God, this guy must be six and a half feet and he's built like a bull as well. How the hell did he creep up on me? I wasn't that distracted surely?'_

The massive vampire let out a deep belly laugh on seeing her surprised expression. "Oh, I might be evil little girl, but I've always preferred to think of myself as dashing or mysterious. Brewing just sounds so," he paused waving his massive hands in front of him as he searched for the appropriate word. Then his lips curled back in a twisted smile as the answer came to him, "alcoholic. And I much prefer to keep my wits about me."

"Oh great," Buffy moaned. "A comedian. Isn't that just the perfect end to the day. I mean, how could this get any worse?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Buffy felt it had been exactly the wrong thing to say, a feeling that was quickly borne out when a new voice spoke up from her left.

"You just think you've got it bad. We have to put up with his attempts at humour all the time." The whining voice was a perfect match for the tall, weasel like character that Buffy's quick glance showed her before she refocused most of her attention on the much more dangerous looking giant in front of her.

"Watch your mouth Nigel," the first vamp growled. "This tiny little girl is barely enough to share as it is. Much more of your lip and you'll be going hungry tonight."

Buffy glared at him, pulling herself up as tall as she could, although that only seemed to emphasise the difference in their heights. "Oh, I am so going to hurt you for that," she snarled. "Have you never heard the phrase 'The bigger they come the harder they…"

"Hit?" asked the giant. Lashing out against her chin with a lightning fast pile driver of a punch that Buffy saw almost too late. Despite managing to ride the blow, Buffy's jaw felt like it had been hit by a wrecking ball and she could taste blood in her mouth as she moved cautiously around the two vampires.

"Nice one Brian," Nigel shouted encouragingly. "That'll teach her to watch her smart lip."

Brian however, looked less sure of himself. The girl had taken his punch and although it had knocked her off her over as he had expected, she had turned the fall into a roll and was now back on her feet and looked as ready to fight as ever. That worried him. Brian hadn't lived as long as he had, which was a very long time indeed, by underestimating his opponents, and this girl was not acting the way a human should when faced by a couple of large vampires.

Seeing the larger vampires hesitation, Buffy rushed forward and launched a quick combination of punches and kicks that would have left any other opponent a broken wreck on the ground. But although Brian staggered and grunted from the pain of the strikes, he didn't look like he was going down anytime soon, and Buffy's limbs felt like she'd been hitting a tree rather than a mere vampire. A tensing of his massive shoulder muscles warned her that another punch was coming and she quickly dived out of the way, putting some space between her and her much larger opponent.

A darting glance to check what the other vampire was up to, made Buffy's heart leap into her throat in fear as she saw that he had now been joined by another three tough looking vamps. _'Oh boy!' _she thought. _'I really need to be more careful what I wish for. I'm going to be really lucky to get out of this in one piece, unless Angel shows up soon. Preferably, with the __US__ Cavalry for backup.' _

Fortunately they seemed content to watch the fight for now, and even seemed to be making bets on how long she'd last.

Buffy feinted a kick towards Brian's groin, before dropping to the ground and trying to sweep his feet out from under him, but he read her intention and neatly jumped over her leg. She ducked and rolled out from under the slashing side kick he tried to direct at her head as a follow up and suddenly found herself in the perfect position to drive her fist up between his legs.

"Yeow!" she screamed, shaking her hand in pain. _'Damn giant must be wearing some sort of protector round his balls. That felt like hitting a brick.' _In her distraction the vampire caught her a solid kick to the ribs sending her crashing into the wall of a nearby mausoleum. He charged after her, trying to follow up on his advantage. Buffy evaded his lunge, putting a couple of gravestones between them as she held one hand to her aching chest, wincing slightly as she felt a broken rib shift beneath her touch. _'Think Buffy! You can't keep this up much longer!' _she silently admonished herself.

The other vampires were now spread out in a loose semi-circle blocking her most likely paths of escape and watching her with all the intensity of cats playing with a mouse.

Brian charged in again, trying to grab her and Buffy once again stepped aside avoiding him. But this time her foot slipped on a patch of grass still damp from the light rain shower that had passed over Sunnydale in the afternoon. Stumbling and off balance, Buffy dropped clumsily to one knee. Brian roared in triumph as his hands closed around her shoulders, lifting her to her feet and pushing her back up against the mausoleum once more.

"Say goodnight Slayer," he gloated. His fangs starting their decent towards her unprotected neck. "You just ran out of luck."

Buffy strained against his grip but was unable to move. She could feel his hair brushing her cheek and knew she didn't have much longer. Just as she was resigning herself to dying again, the night was suddenly rent by a line of bright light appearing out of nowhere between two rows of tombstones, directly behind Brian.

As quickly as the light appeared, it was gone. Leaving behind a widening gap in the very air of the graveyard, the edges glowing a lurid purple, so dark as to be almost beyond the range of human vision, even a Slayer's. When the portal reached about a metre in width, a slender, black clad woman dived through, rolling quickly to her feet and drawing a bright, lethal looking sword from the sheath strapped across her back in a single smooth motion. Barely pausing to look around, she continued the drawing motion in a flat, clean sweep that separated Brian's head from his shoulders before he could begin to react to the newcomers presence.

Staring at the brunette through the falling dust of the vampire that had just come so close to killing her, the Slayer felt her mouth drop open in amazement.

"Hi, Buffy!" the swordswoman said cheerily. "Mind if I cut in?"

Buffy's mouth worked silently for a few moments before she managed to squeeze the word out past her disbelief.

"Cordelia?"

TBC


	2. The Beginning Again

**Time and Again**

Title: Time and Again  
Author: Mark Wilson  
EMail: aelfh31m@hotmail.com   
Rating: PG 13 for violence  
Disclaimer: All the BtVS characters do not of course belong to me, but to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy etc. I'm just having fun with a bit of a "what if?" scenario.  
Summary: After the events of "Some Assembly Required", things take a bit of a strange turn for Buffy and the gang, but especially for Cordelia ...  
Authors Notes: This is my first attempt at writing a fanfiction and I'm not the fastest writer in the world, so subsequent chapters may be a little slow in appearing. Please bear with me and have patience. Still setting the scene, but future chapters will include femslash romance, so if this is illegal for you to read, or just not to your taste, you have been warned.

**Chapter 1 – The Beginning Again  
Restfield Cemetery - September 1997**

The two girls stared at each other for a long moment in silence. Buffy was amazed at the change in her – was friend the right word? – Well, classmate anyway. Cordelia had always been poised and confident, but now there was something about the look in her eyes and her stance that said she was also very, very dangerous as well. Then of course, there was the very sharp sword held casually by her side and the long dagger in a silver trimmed black leather sheath strapped to the outside of her left thigh. Those did not exactly project an air of vulnerability.

_'Still as stylish as ever, but this is way out of her normal look and since when did her taste in accessories include lethal weapons. Definitely not Vogue here, she looks like she just stepped off the cover of some magazine for Dungeons and Dragons geeks.' _Buffy thought to herself. Her eyes flicking up and down Cordelia's toned body as she catalogued the different parts of her ensemble. _'Those tight leather pants are very daring, with the lacings all the way up the outsides of her legs showing generous stretches of perfectly tanned skin. And I really like the belt. Silver links inlaid with some sort of polished black material. Jet? Ebony perhaps? Hmm, pretty whatever it is.' _Buffy's eyes lingered for a long moment at Cordelia's waist._ 'I haven't seen her expose this much perfectly toned stomach since the cheerleader tryouts. I wonder where she got that top its beautiful, short, silky black material showing just a hint of cleavage outlined in a sort of complicated swirling design of silver embroidery. The silver tipped laces tying the neck closed just naturally draw the eyes down to where the cross belt from her sword sheath presses the material back between firm, shapely breasts…'_

_'Bad Buffy!__ I've got to get my mind out of the gutter. I am so not ogling another girl here,'  Buffy_ frowned as she realised where her thoughts were going._ 'I like men! Big, strong, muscly men like Angel! Not trim, curvy, soft skinned girls with shiny dark hair that I just want to run my fingers… Arghh, this can not be happening to me.'_

For her part, Cordelia was basking in the feeling of being back in Sunnydale once more. Staring at Buffy she finally allowed herself to believe that she had made it home again. She was a little surprised at the intensity of her feelings towards the blonde. If you had asked her the day before, Cordelia would honestly have sworn that Buffy and her friends were just barely tolerated acquaintances. Fellow classmates whom she sometimes helped out of a feeling of obligation for the number of times they had saved her life. But after what she had recently gone through, she had come to realise that they were the closest things to real friends she had in Sunnydale.

The girls were not given the chance to fully process their thoughts before being rudely interrupted by a series of low growls. The remaining vampires had finally shaken off the surprise of seeing their leader cut down so abruptly and begun moving to avenge him.

Cordelia pivoted gracefully to face them, bringing her sword up into a high guard position. _'Damn,' _Buffy thought angrily. _'I can't believe I forgot about the rest of the fang gang. I am just so off my game tonight.'_ She took a step forward and pulled her last stake from the hidden pocket sewn into the back of her jacket. Shoulder to shoulder, they faced the cautiously approaching vampires, sizing up their remaining opponents.

If Cordelia was in any way intimidated by the thought of taking on four virile looking vampires then no sign showed on her face as she flashed a confident grin in Buffy's direction. "Now, this is how I remember Sunnydale. All the boys eager to dance with me."

_'I hope Queen C really knows what she's doing. If she's bluffing things could get very messy here,'_

"We're still outnumbered here," Buffy said with a hint of exasperation. "And I don't think they're planning to ask us to the prom somehow."

"Well, it's not like any of these losers are good enough for us anyway. Still, it's not quite the welcome home party I've been dreaming of," Cordelia complained.

The vampires were forced to split into pairs to pass either side of the portal which still slowly growing, hung in front of the girls like a gaping wound in the night.

Circling to the far right of the group Nigel had fewer obstacles in his path and so was just a little ahead of his partner in getting into fighting range. Knowing that he would not be facing the Slayer, he expected an easy victory. He dashed forward with claws extended, hoping to close on the brunette before she could bring her sword to bear on him. But a quick flick of its tip towards his face forcing him to stop in his tracks and jump backwards. 

Thinking he saw an opportunity while the brunette was occupied with Nigel, the other vampire lunged forward, only to scream in agony as her razor sharp blade sliced across his middle. Clutching at his stomach with both hands trying to prevent his insides from falling out, he staggered backwards away from the fight. Facing her sword alone now, Nigel suddenly found himself feeling a lot less confident and looked nervously across to where his colleagues were fighting the Slayer in the hope of maybe getting some help from them.

His hope was in vain. Buffy had not waited for the two vampires to reach her before launching a barrage of hard fast punches and kicks against first one and then the other. The lighter haired of the two tripped backwards over a tombstone landing gracelessly on his backside, while his companion staggered back wiping blood away from a broken nose and glaring balefully at the approaching blonde Slayer.

"Now this is much more like it," Buffy enthused. "I've been dying for a good slay for ages." Pirouetting gracefully her foot smashed into the jaw of the still standing vampire in a spinning kick that sent him tumbling away from her just as the first vampire regained his feet and charged. Barely pausing, Buffy slammed her foot back at full extension into his stomach, doubling him over in a perfect set up for her to follow through with a powerful uppercut to his chin. Quickly rolling his dazed body over, Buffy plunged her stake down into his unprotected heart.

The other vampire had lurched to his feet and staggered towards her in an attempt to take her from behind while he believed her attention was still engaged in finishing off his colleague. But he was mistaken, and even before the dust had settled, Buffy swivelled on her heel and struck up towards him. His jaw dropped open in surprise and the last thing he saw as he stared down in disbelief was the stake plunged into his chest. Then there was nothing but dust drifting on the light breeze.

_'Yeah!__ That's more like it. Nothing like a successful bit of violence to blow away my frustrations. Maybe now my thoughts will stay with Angel where they belong.'_

Nigel was beginning to feel a little worried. The short dagger he carried about with him was useful during the rare run-ins he had with other demon species, but it was just not long enough to reach the brunette beyond the metre plus of shining steel she was wielding with such lethal precision. He was bleeding from dozens of minor cuts where she had managed to slip past his guard and only his superior vampire speed and quick reactions had allowed him to avoid any major injuries so far, but she had come frighteningly close on several occasions. Seeing that the Slayer had finished off her side of the fight, things were looking really bleak for him, especially as he could not expect any help from Johnny. The final vampire was still slumped up against a crypt some distance away moaning pitifully while trying to keep his guts from spilling out through the slice in his belly. His shirt was already soaked by his cold dark blood and it was starting to form a pool on the short cut grass below him.

Watching the calm, almost effortless way Cordelia was herding Nigel around, Buffy decided that she there was no need for her to get involved and she take a breather.

Cordelia's calm was deceptive however, this vampire was just a little too careful to let her get in a decapitating blow and finish him off. Okay she was wearing him down, but she was also aware that it would take just one little slip in her concentration to give him an opening to attack her. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the portal hanging there, forgotten by all the fights participants and in a flash of inspiration, she realised how it could be used to her advantage. 

Slowly turning around Nigel, she manoeuvred until he was directly between the portal and her. Then she suddenly launched a lightening fast barrage of  slices and lunges. Finally panicked, the vampire leapt back away from this sword wielding nightmare. Striking the portal edge on, he barely had time for a single scream before the powerful forces holding open the rift in space and time tore him into a billion brightly glowing pieces that swirled once around the perimeter of the portal before disappearing forever.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Cordelia produced a rag from out of her pocket and carefully wiped the sword clean before returning it to the sheath on her back. 

_'That was amazing.'_ Buffy thought as she strolled over to join her friend. _'It was almost like she was dancing. Like a professionally choreographed cheerleading routine. Although more dangerous and with blades instead of pompoms…'_

Her internal babbling stopped abruptly when Cordelia turned towards her and wrapped the surprised blonde in a tight hug. "God, Buffy. You can't imagine how glad I am to see you again," she said close to tears.

"Jeez, Cordelia. Exaggerate much. You've only been gone a couple of days," the Slayer said, wrapping her arms tightly around her taller friend and trying hard not to let her mind dwell on the feel of the brunette's body pressing up against her. Despite her best intentions she was unable to resist letting her hands rub up and down Cordelia's back. _'Hmm, her skin is just as soft and smooth as I imagined it and what's this,'_ she paused surprised as her hand encountered a hard object right between Cordelia's shoulder blades. _'Another knife?'_

Cordelia pulled back a bit to stare Buffy right in the eyes. "For you maybe, but it's been a lot longer on my side of things."

"Longer?"

"Yes, longer. Come on Buffy, you didn't think I learned to use a sword like that overnight did you? I'm not a slayer you know."

"I hadn't really thought about it," Buffy admitted. "The whole sight of you with a sword was surprising enough that I just didn't consider the implications. So how long have you been gone? And where?"

"Now that is a looong story," Cordelia replied, looking around as if missing something. "And much better told in comfort and to everyone together. It's going to be hard enough to tell once. I really don't want to have to repeat it."

When she caught sight of the Slayer pouting sulkily at her because of the lack of a straight answer, she had to smile. "And don't make those puppy dog eyes at me. Unlike Giles, **I** am immune."

She laughed as Buffy's pout melted into a scowl of frustration and impulsively hugged her again. Feeling Buffy's initially stiff response melt after a few moments. "Don't worry Buffy," she murmured in the blondes ear. "You won't have long to wait." A momentary confusion clouding her deep hazel eyes, Cordelia asked in a quiet voice, "Eh, what day is today?"

Buffy gave her a strange look. "You really don't know do you?"

"Nope, not the slightest idea."

"Well it's Monday. You disappeared last week."

"Oh!" Cordelia looked nonplussed for a moment. "I really thought it would be longer that that. Never mind, I'll tell everyone about it tomorrow at the library. But just now there's much more important things to think about."

Pulling back in sudden concern, Buffy looked her in the eyes. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"

"Do you know how long it's been since I had a real shower?" Cordelia asked her eyes twinkling merrily as she pasted her most innocent look on her face.

"You, you, you …" Buffy swatted at her arm in mock anger.

"Oww! Be careful Buffy. You forget your own strength sometimes."

"Sorry," Buffy muttered pouting again, "but you had me worried there. That was not funny."

Turning her back on the unrepentantly grinning swordswoman, Buffy stomped over to where the final vampire, Johnny, was still staring down at his blood covered hands and moaning quietly. He glanced up at her approach and snarled defiantly. But Buffy merely stared down unimpressed. "You're really a pretty pathetic excuse for a vampire, you know. One little cut and you curl up crying for your mommy. It's not going to kill you after all. You should be fighting on regardless or at least have tried to escape while we were finishing off your friends. It wouldn't have done you much good of course," she smiled, "but it takes the fun out of slaying when you make it too easy for me." When the vampire just glared at her, she sighed and plunged her stake into the demon's heart put an end to its agony.

_'Well that's over now,'_ she shrugged, feeling oddly let down. _'Trust one lame-ass vamp to really ruin the mood.'_

Watching the way the Slayers shoulders hunched in on themselves, Cordelia felt a sudden need to comfort her. Reaching out quietly, she began to gently massage some of the tension out of her friends back and neck.

_'Hmmm nice,'_ Buffy thought as Cordelia's strong talented fingers went to work on the knotted muscles. But the contact did nothing to help her escape the swirling  confusion of her thoughts and jumbled emotions. She just did not know why Cordelia was suddenly affecting her this way. It was not like she had never noticed that the other girl was attractive before. She would have had to be blind to  miss it. But she had never considered it important. Especially when compared to how annoying the cheerleader could be. _'I'm just missing Angel, that's all. Once I see him again, things will get back to normal. Yes a hard, manly chest against my cheek, that's what I want. Not soft womanly curves melding up against my body while slim fingers…'_

Groaning in frustration as her thoughts once again ran away from her, Buffy pulled away from Cordelia's gently kneading fingers. 

"Is something the matter Buffy?" Cordelia asked in concern.

"No, nope, nothing wrong. What could be wrong?" Buffy babbled, trying desperately to come up with some way to explain her frown that would be less embarrassing than admitting what she had just been thinking. "Everything's peachy. In the green. A-OK. Top of the world."

"Okay, okay, enough. I get the picture already," Cordelia laughed. "Since when did you start channelling Willow?"

With a flash of inspiration, Buffy saw a safe path to lead the conversation down. It was a bit of a stretch she admitted to herself, but with any luck Cordelia would not question it. "It's been very quiet lately, and now I'm set upon by five, stronger than usual vamps. Well, that last one was a bit of a wimp, but still, doesn't that strike you as a little odd?"  

"I don't know Buff. I'm no vamp expert. But why worry. They're dust. We're alive," Cordelia flashed a broad thousand watt smile at the Slayer. "I say we party."

"Cordy, Cordy, Cordy," a new voice sighed with a resigned tone. "When are you going to learn that worrying about the details is what keeps you alive longer?"

Buffy whirled to face the stranger who was stepping through the, now three metre wide, portal, and dropped into a fighting stance. His accent sounded foreign, and although Buffy couldn't quite decide from where, it did seem vaguely familiar. 

Cordelia just sighed. "But that's what I've got **you** for." She paused before turning to look at him with her hands planted firmly on her hips. "What took you so long?" she asked, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. "We've been fighting for our lives here."

"I think you must have destabilised the gateway jumping through it while it was so small," he replied shrugging nonchalantly. "It wouldn't let me pass until just now. You really should think before diving into the unknown."

Smiling slightly at the withering stare Cordelia sent in his direction, he dropped the two bundles he was carrying at her feet and stuck out his hand towards the still uncertain blonde. "Hi Buffy. Nice to meet you."

"H-how do you know my name?" the Slayer stuttered in surprise.

"Oh, you get used to that," Cordelia said with a dismissive wave. "He's no one."

"Huh?" Buffy looked back and forward between the two feeling none the wiser.

"Cordelia," he said wearily, giving Buffy an apologetic smile. "She means my name is Nevyn. Which means 'no one' in one of the early Celtic languages." Buffy still looked confused, but shook the offered hand. "Don't worry Buffy. There's a perfectly simple explanation for all of this."

"Hah!" Cordelia scoffed. "Nothing about this whole situation is simple. Now can we save it for the morning please? I'm suddenly feeling very tired and I think I'll skip the party and just go home and take a nice long, hot, shower."

"And how do you plan to get into the house?" Nevyn asked her over his shoulder.

"What do you mean, how do I plan to get in. It's my house."

"Well there's the little matter of your parents being away on vacation and the keys that were taken from you before we first met," he said patiently.

"You know I hate it when you do that!" Cordelia snapped waspishly.

"Do what?" Nevyn asked innocently.

"Remind me of the little things I've overlooked and leave me feeling foolish."

"Like I've told you many times before Cordy. When you pay attention of the little things in life, the big problems tend to sort themselves out."

"Oh please! Spare me the homilies. Since your so smart, how do you suggest I get in?"

"Well that's easy," Nevyn replied grinning mischievously. "You just need to ask Giles to pick the lock for you."

"What?" both girls exclaimed in complete surprise.

"Did you say Giles?" Buffy asked in a tone that suggested she would have been less surprised if he'd told her the Pope was secretly a woman. "We are talking about the same person here? English librarian, a bit stuffy, wears a lot of Tweed suits."

"There's a lot about Giles you don't know," Nevyn continued unruffled. "He wasn't born wearing Tweed you know."

"Well no I guess not," admitted Buffy. "But lock picking?"

Nevyn just smiled.

"Fine!" Cordelia said after a moment. "I know better than to argue with you when you get like this, but have I told you how aggravating it can be?"

"Only about a million times Cordy."

Scowling Cordelia scooped up one of the bundles Nevyn had brought through the portal before turned the full intensity of her glare on him. "Well! What are we waiting for? Let's go to Giles'. I need my beauty sleep."

"Sure Cordy," Nevyn said soothingly, picking up the other bundle. "Lead the way." At her surprised look he said gently, "I've never been to Sunnydale before. Remember?"

"Whatever," she said and began to head for the street.

"Er, guys!" Buffy called after them. "What are we going to do about this portal thingy?"

"Umm," Nevyn stopped a slightly puzzled frown creasing his forehead. "You know I haven't the least idea. In the past, portals have opened, I've stepped through and then they've closed again. It's always been a little annoying that I don't know why or how they open, but I've never really thought too much about it." His frown deepened as he stared at the deep purple boundary that marked the portal. "That's odd in itself. You'd think I would be more concerned about who or what was controlling them. But it's rarely crossed my mind."

"Not quite the answer I was looking for," Buffy said. "I guess we'll just have to guard it until…" She trailed off abruptly as the portal suddenly flared brightly before contracting once more to a glowing slit and disappearing. "Well, that takes care of that I guess," she continued after they shared a moment of stunned silence.

"Good," Cordelia said. "Can we get going now? This bag isn't getting any lighter you know."

**Giles' Apartment – a little later**

Giles was sitting in his favourite armchair, quietly reading and sipping a fresh cup of tea, when the doorbell rang. A glance at the clock showed it was getting on for midnight. Giles frowned, callers at this hour of the night were never a good sign. Of course it might just be Buffy with some news on the search for Cordelia, although he had a hard time imagining what she would think so urgent that it could not wait until morning.

The doorbell rang again startling Giles as he realised he had just been sitting there woolgathering. Carefully marking his place, Giles set the book down on the coffee table and went to open the door.

As he had suspected it was Buffy, and he was relieved to see that although a little tired, she looked unhurt. He dreaded the times she came to him injured wanting some first-aid for her wounds. Almost as much as he dreaded the thought that one day she might not return at all. Shaking his head at the morbid turn his thoughts seemed determined to take tonight, he turned his attention to the two people with her. Despite the lateness of the hour, Giles had slipped into full Watcher mode as soon as he saw his Slayer in the doorway, and he observed his guests closely from behind his usual mask of mild befuddlement.

The man was a complete stranger, Giles was certain he would know if he had seen him before. Since the man was only his mid to late twenties and of medium height and build, some people might have dismissed him, but one look into the piercing blue, grey eyes showed Giles this was a man to be reckoned with. He was strangely dressed (and heavily armed) to be walking the streets of Sunnydale. Linen trews in a deep navy blue, the seams picked out in bands of white and gold embroidery forming complex knotwork patterns. A matching tight button less silk shirt was tucked into a royal blue sash wrapped around his waist. Add to that the sword strapped to his back, the daggers strapped to his thighs, the red gold hair tied back in a tight ponytail and Giles could not help thinking that he seemed to exude an overall air of competence and the potential for sudden danger.

At first he almost failed to recognise the woman beside him as Cordelia because of the similarly unusual clothing and the hilt of a sword peeking over her right shoulder, but when he did, he smiled broadly. "I see you found her then."

"More like she found me Giles. Now are we going to talk in the doorway all night or can we come in?" Buffy asked a little tetchily. "It's been a long day and I'd really like to get to my bed for at least a few hours sleep before I have to go to school tomorrow."

"Oh, sorry," Giles muttered stepping back out of the way. "Would you like some tea? It's freshly brewed." Years of Watchers training had drilled into him the need to be careful never to explicitly invite anyone into his house even if he knew them, and over time, it had become second nature to him. 

Buffy he noticed was limping slightly, probably from some bruising or cuts she had received while out on patrol. As she eased herself down onto the couch, his keen eye also noted that she seemed to be favouring her ribs. Since they did not seem to be bothering her too much, he decided it was probably nothing to worry about. Looking up to where he stood holding the teapot, she shook her head gently declining his offer, while giving him one of the sweet private smiles he had grown to treasure.

"Tea would be nice, thanks," the stranger said and Cordelia nodded in agreement. The soft Welsh accent awakened a momentary pang of homesickness in Giles which he quickly shook off. The smooth, flowing way the man walked across the room reinforced Giles' first impression that this would be a very dangerous person to have as an enemy.

However, it was the graceful, almost catlike way that Cordelia followed him that surprised Giles the most. She had always had a degree of poise and elegance about her and her time on the cheerleading squad had accentuated those qualities. This however was a whole new level and suddenly Giles decided the sword strapped to her back did not seem the least bit out of place. There was definitely something very strange going on here.

"This is my friend and mentor Nevyn," Cordelia said by way of introduction as she settled smoothly onto the couch beside Buffy.

"A pleasure to meet you Mr Giles," Nevyn said, giving Giles' hand a firm, friendly shake before settling into the last remaining space on the couch.

Giles poured out the tea, taking his time over the simple task to let him marshal his thoughts and impressions.

"So," he said finally, setting the teapot aside, "what brings you here tonight."

"I'd say my feet," Buffy quipped, "but it's a little too late for weak puns."

Giles sat down with a sigh while Cordelia rolled her eyes and muttered, "Lame," under her breath. 

"Anyways," Buffy said, the pointed look she sent Cordelia suggesting that she would pay her back for that comment later. "I was patrolling in Restfield when I was set upon by this unusually large vampire. Nothing I did had any effect on him, and he eventually got me by the throat and was about to sink his fangs into me when Cordelia suddenly appeared out of a hole in the sky and chopped his head off. We then had a bit of a rumble with four of his friends during which Cordy slices one vamps guts open and uses the portal thingy to blow another one into tiny pieces." 

The rapid fire sentences tumbled out of the blonde's mouth with barely a pause for breath.

"Nevyn here came out of the portal just after we'd finished them all off. We had a quick chat during which Cordelia promised to explain where she's been and how she got that sword in the library tomorrow, but that she just wanted to go home and sleep in her own bed tonight." 

"And get a real shower," Cordelia pointed out quietly.

"Yes, and get a shower," Buffy repeated, a little annoyed at the interruption. "But Nevyn pointed out to her that she'd lost her keys and her parents were away so it might be a little difficult to get in. She asked him if he had any bright ideas then and he said we should come ask you to pick the lock, so here we are," she finished, smiling brightly at the slightly glazed expression on Giles' face.

"Yes, well, um, interesting," Giles said as he struggled to make sense of the barrage of rapid fire sentences Buffy had just fired his way. "So Cordelia, where have you been that you arrive home via a portal?"

"That's rather a long story Giles. Can we just save it till tomorrow please?"

"Yes, well that would be okay I suppose, but can you not at least give us a quick summary now?"

"Allow me," Nevyn said as Cordelia looked ready to snap at Giles. "After narrowly avoiding being turned into Frankenstein's bride, Cordelia was ambushed on her way home and pushed through a space/time portal. I rescued her a short time later from a nasty bit of trouble she had gotten into."

"That was so not my fault," Cordelia said sullenly.

Ignoring her, Nevyn continued, "We gradually became friends and travelled together for a while after that, while I taught her how to fight and some other useful survival skills. Then tonight we encountered another portal that brought us here to Sunnydale and the rest Buffy has already told you."

As he finished, Nevyn looked up from his cup to see Giles and Buffy staring at him in stunned silence.

After a moment Cordelia set her cup down firmly on the coffee table. "So, Giles are you going to help me break into my house or not?"

Giles took his glasses off and began nervously polishing them. "This is all very unusual," he said finally. "What makes you think I know how to pick locks?"

"Oh, no," Cordelia interjected quickly, as she saw Nevyn open his mouth to answer Giles. "That is not something we are going to discuss tonight. I want to go home, take a shower and go to sleep in my own bed. We are not going to spend several hours talking about the nature of magic, science and the universe in general. Can we not just take it as read, that Nevyn knows some things and leave the explaining till tomorrow?"

"Umm, it is late I suppose," Giles answered hesitantly.

"Giles, does that mean you **can** pick locks?" Buffy asked.

"Well it's not something I'm very proud of you understand. Misspent youth and all that," he replied with an embarrassed smile.

"My world is crumbling," Buffy moaned dramatically.

"Can we get on with it?" Cordelia asked pointedly. "The nights not getting any younger you know."

**Cordelia's House – 15 minutes later**

"Well?" Cordelia asked her feet crunching on the gravel as she paced back and forward at the head of the driveway.

Giles was crouched down by the front door, prodding at the lock with a couple of bent pieces of wire. He had come to the conclusion that Cordelia's family's wealth was a bit of a mixed blessing at the moment. On the one hand, the tall walls and hedges, long driveway and numerous trees scattered about the garden, were doing a good job of screening their not quite legal activity from any nosy neighbours or casual passers-by. But on the other hand, they could afford good locks and it had been a long time since he practiced this particular little skill.

"Come on Giles, what's taking so long?"

Of course it might be easier if he could actually concentrate for more than a minute at a time without yet another interruption.

"Cordelia," he said, suppressed anger colouring his tone. "It's been a while since I did this."

"Oh, give me a break. It never takes this long on TV."

"Never takes this long on TV?" an incredulous Giles asked. His struggle to control his temper not being helped by the suppressed laughter coming from Nevyn. Who was watching from a short distance away, leaning nonchalantly against the side of Giles' aging Citroen.

"Yeah, you know, the PI pulls a bobby pin out of his assistant's hair, twiddles it in the lock for a moment and then opens the door. Piece of cake."

"Fine," Giles threw down his picks and stood up. "If it's so easy, you do it."

"What?" Cordelia asked offended. "Do I look like a criminal to you?"

"Enough already!" Buffy said, a pained expression on her face as she watched the two of them squabbling. "We're not getting anywhere, everyone's tired and tempers are fraying. Why not call it quits and I'll kick the door down. We'll be inside in no time."

"Yes, well, as much as I hate to admit defeat," Giles conceded. "This lock is just a little too good and my lock picking skills are just a little too rusty. Brute force is probably our only realistic option." He looked up at the hovering brunette, "Unless you're willing to wait until morning and call out a proper locksmith."

"Fine, whatever! Break the damn thing down. I just want to go to bed."

"Um Cordelia? You do remember the code to turn off the alarm system don't you?" Nevyn asked a little nervously as he suddenly realised they had overlooked a potential problem. "I'd prefer not to spend my first night in Sunnydale in a police cell." 

"A little late thinking of that aren't you Nevyn?" Cordelia asked. Her words dripping with false honey. "Isn't that one of those little details you're always telling me I need to keep a better track of?"

"Okay, maybe I left myself open for that one, but I never claimed to be perfect. That's why it's so important that you pay attention to the details as well."

"Well, I guess it's lucky that I do remember the code then, or this whole little jaunt would be for nothing. Go ahead Buffy. Try not to do too much damage."

Waiting just long enough for Giles to step out of the way, Buffy delivered a crashing kick just below the handle. The door flew open and smashed back hard against the adjacent wall, knocking the handset of a wall mounted phone off its rest and crashing to the floor.

Cordelia strode through the door and confidently tapped a string of numbers into the control box on the wall, stilling the alarm before the entry countdown had barely begun.

Picking the phone up, Cordelia examined the door and frame. "It coulda been worse I suppose. But I'm going to need to get it fixed before my parents return. Well thank you Buffy, Giles I'll see you tomorrow then."

Cordelia's casual dismissal did not come as much of a surprise to Giles, but he noticed that Buffy looked a little hurt by it. Gently placing a hand on his charge's shoulder he asked her if she wanted a lift home. He thought for a moment that she had not heard him, but then she seemed to give herself a little shake and turned to look up at him with a tired smile.

"No, thanks Giles. One trip in your car a night is enough for me. Besides, I can probably get home quicker from here if I cut across the park."

"I'll have you know my car is perfectly serviceable," Giles huffed.

"Yeah, yeah. It's the rust that helps hold it together. Night Giles." Without waiting to see if he would reply, Buffy trotted off down the driveway.

Looking around Giles saw that Nevyn and Cordelia had already disappeared inside the Chase house. Time for him to go as well. Tomorrow looked like it was going to be an interesting day.

**_  
TBC _**


End file.
